The Buen-Tek project is inspired by and based on the recognition that indigenous knowledge and the principle of Sumak Kawsay (Buen Vivir) — incorporated into the Ecuadorian Constitution of 2008 — are indispensable sources of wisdom. By building bridges between the local indigenous eco-technological knowledge (Lo-TEK) and their cultural imaginaries with other technologies and contexts, Buen-TEK explores how this symbiosis can repair global socio-environmental crises. Encouraged by the pillars of reciprocity and interconnectedness that lie at the heart of Buen Vivir, S+T+ARTS Buen-TEK operates as a ‘living laboratory’, showcasing how these concepts can be transformed into tangible, transdisciplinary methodologies and collaborative communities.

We therefore view the criminalisation of social protest with deep concern. We reject any action of repression and stigmatisation against those who exercise their right to protest against measures that have a disproportionate impact on the local economy, exacerbate inequality and breach the principle of Buen Vivir. We are also concerned about threats to the Constitution of Ecuador (also known as the Constitution of Buen Vivir), as this could represent a significant setback on the rights of nature, the plurinationality, and the intercultural state — the fundamental pillars of the Ecuadorian social pact that indigenous communities achieved after decades of struggle.

At a time when the world urgently needs alternatives for harmonious coexistence, defending Buen Vivir and the peoples who made it possible is not only a local cause, but one that inspires and commits us. Socio-environmental justice, the integrity of the rights of peoples and territories, and dignity and life are inalienable. These principles are also our principles, and are essential to building a just future for all.